Second Street Experience Strategy v1.0 May 2025

Second Street Corridor

Experience Strategy

Experience Strategy and Placemaking Report for the Second Street Corridor

All design concepts presented in the "Second Street Corridor Experience Strategy" report are original works created by Storefront Mastery. These materials are intended solely for conceptual and illustrative purposes and do not constitute finished, implementable projects. They are not to be interpreted as fully developed plans ready for execution. Should any party wish to pursue the implementation of these ideas, they should engage licensed professionals—such as architects, engineers, urban planners, or other relevant experts—to develop and execute the concepts and generate technical specifications and construction documents in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and safety standards.

All images included in this report are produced by Storefront Mastery, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Certain images may have been generated using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to serve as visual aids, enhancing the illustration of the proposed design concepts. These AI-generated images are not representations of final designs or real-world implementations and should not be construed as such. They are illustrations of an original concept.

The client retains full ownership and intellectual property rights to these materials. Storefront Mastery can use the designs, concepts, and images for marketing and educational purposes. This includes, but is not limited to, featuring the work in portfolios, case studies, presentations, or other promotional and educational materials.

Executive Summary

The Second Street Corridor Experience Strategy redefines the Rochester Link BRT construction as a transformative opportunity, converting disruption into a catalyst for economic vitality and community connection. This innovative plan places solutions on the ground to immerse and engage users in their daily use of the site. It integrates experiential design and business support at the strategic and technical assistance levels, to ensure the impact of the disruption is minimal.

Strategic Approach:

• Activate the construction corridor with modular, immersive placemaking interventions tied to a unified narrative: “Rochester’s Journey: From Healing to Hope.” (p. 11)

• Engage corridor users emotionally through carefully sequenced experiences designed to evoke wonder, belonging, hope, and joy (p. 21)

• Sustain and grow business visibility during construction through targeted operational support, mentorship, and storytelling campaigns. (p. 32)

Implementation Readiness:

• A detailed Implementation Guide (p.43) assigns design, production, operational execution, and funding responsibilities to ensure seamless accountability across all project phases.

• Final construction timelines to be incorporated once confirmed by the City of Rochester and project partners.

• KPIs for user engagement, business resilience, and placemaking effectiveness will be finalized collaboratively with the client project team during rollout. Specific KPI recommendations for the St. Mary’s area are included in the Pilot section (p.41)

Impact Potential:

• Protect local commerce during disruption, preserving corridor vitality.

• Foster public enthusiasm and trust in Rochester’s future through active, visible progress storytelling.

• Position Second Street as a nationally recognized model for experience-driven downtown revitalization in healthcare anchor cities.

Next Steps:

• Finalize timeline and construction phasing integration.

• Advance selected interventions to final design and permitting.

• Launch pilot activation at St. Mary’s to validate and refine approach (p. 39).

Introduction

Purpose of the Project

The purpose of this project is to transform the disruption caused by the Rochester Link BRT construction into a powerful opportunity for local businesses to usher in the city’s future. Rather than merely enduring the challenges, we will position local businesses as active drivers of Rochester’s growth. Through a carefully crafted experiential design strategy and a solid business support platform, we will soften the impact of construction while equipping businesses with the tools, connections, and visibility they need to thrive both during and beyond this period.

Our approach is comprehensive and actionable. As part of the project we will provide tailored, hands-on business support. This will include technical assistance to refine operations, enhance business models, and elevate design, turning disruption into a chance to strengthen their foundations. It includes a Mentoring plan that will connect local businesses, fostering collaboration and cross-pollination across the ecosystem to build a more resilient community of commerce. This effort unfolds through a multi-pronged strategy that reimagines public spaces and their usage, with tools such as public space activation to draw engagement, educational workshops to sharpen skills, and immersive experiences to deepen customer relationships.

The goal is straightforward: minimize the weight of construction challenges while creating lasting value. By building partnerships and capacity, we ensure businesses emerge stronger, ready to shape Rochester’s next chapter. This aligns with Storefront Mastery’s core identity, rooted in innovation and entrepreneurial support, using the construction phase as a launchpad for businesses to reinvent themselves, forge new ties with their audience, and contribute to a dynamic, forward-looking Rochester.

Global cities competing for talent and tourism are shifting toward experience-based economies. During this transition from a transactional economy based on simple exchanges of goods for cash, to an experiential one, people are more willing to pay not just with their money but also with their time and attention for offerings that align with their values and engage them in a more emotional level.

Storefront Mastery is leveraging that trend to create an experience on Second Street that proposes an emotional engagement and a shared purpose to sell the benefits of the Link BRT construction and help users navigate the process. The engagement builds a foundation for the partnership with users from all segments. The creation of a well-rounded, immersive experience requires a strategy with clear boundaries, good communication, support for local businesses, and moments of profound engagement.

What is an Experience Strategy?

An experience strategy is a deliberate, holistic approach to designing how people interact with a business, service, or place, ensuring that every moment feels meaningful, engaging, and valuable. This concept transcends traditional planning or customer service by prioritizing

emotional resonance and memorable connections over mere functionality by shaping how people feel, behave, and connect with a place.

For the Second Street corridor, this means turning construction challenges into opportunities with creative solutions like playful detours, interactive stations, or pop-up events, with sensory stimulation guided by the main narrative. The purpose of an Experience Strategy is to while building a vibrant district that lasts long after the barricades are gone.

The goal is to make every interaction valuable, so people want to invest their time and energy. This could mean the difference between a construction zone people avoid and one they’re vested on because they understand the process, see the future benefits and accept the contingency.

Benefits of the Experience Strategy

An Experience Strategy for the Second Street corridor in Rochester offers numerous advantages that can transform the construction phase into a period of growth and opportunity. While specific outcomes will depend on the implementation, the following benefits are commonly associated with such strategies in urban development projects worldwide.

1. Sustained Business Visibility and Revenue During Construction

By employing creative methods like pop-up events, digital marketing, and community activations, we will engineer visibility and access, helping to maintain revenue streams during construction disruptions. This approach draws from global practices where cities have mitigated the impact of infrastructure projects on local commerce.

2. Strengthened Customer Loyalty Through Unique Experiences

Offering memorable experiences, which can include workshops, themed events, or interactive installations, can build deeper connections with customers, leading to increased loyalty and repeat visits. This fosters a sense of connection that persists beyond the construction period, ensuring businesses retain their customer base.

3. Enhanced Community Engagement and Pride

Engaging the community through public art, events, and volunteer opportunities fosters a sense of ownership and pride, enhancing the area’s appeal. This involvement strengthens the neighborhood’s fabric, making residents active participants in the corridor’s transformation.

4. Positioning the Corridor as a Must-Visit Destination Post-Construction

A well-designed experience strategy can make the corridor a desirable destination, attracting visitors and boosting the local economy. By creating unique, experience-rich spaces, Second Street can become a regional attraction, driving economic growth and enhancing Rochester’s appeal.

5. Increased Business Resilience and Capacity

Through training, mentorship, and technical assistance, businesses can develop the skills and resilience needed to adapt to future challenges. This equips them to thrive post-construction, contributing to the corridor’s long-term success and economic vitality.

6. A Unified Vision for Rochester’s Future

Aligning stakeholders around a shared narrative and goals ensures the corridor’s development is cohesive and meets community needs. This fosters collaboration between businesses, city officials, and residents, creating a unified vision that supports Rochester’s growth.

Alignment with City Objectives

An Experience Strategy for the Second Street corridor can support Rochester’s objectives by making the area more attractive and functional during and after the Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) construction. It helps local businesses thrive, improves livability, and encourages BRT use. By maintaining business visibility and revenue, it ensures revenue streams continue, while post-construction, it can make the corridor a vibrant hub, attracting more customers and jobs.

An active, vibrant and attractive area during construction can position the corridor as a mustvisit destination post-construction, boosting local commerce and job opportunities, as seen in similar projects.

Creating engaging experiences, like public art, community events, and educational installations improves the livability of the Second Street corridor, making it a better place for residents and visitors. This aligns with the city’s focus on community well-being and supports the Destination Medical Center’s aim to enhance patient and visitor experiences.

The strategy can make the BRT experience enjoyable, encouraging its use and reducing traffic congestion, which supports Rochester’s transportation goals. This integration helps achieve the city’s aim for efficient, accessible transit, as outlined in project plans.

Finally, an experience strategy can support medical tourism, given the Destination Medical Center’s role, by enhancing the corridor’s appeal for patients and visitors, boosting Rochester’s global reputation as a healthcare destination that offers a complete experience.

Vision and Goals

The project’s vision is to transform the Second Street corridor into a spectacular, emotionally resonant destination that thrives during and beyond the Link BRT construction, where businesses, residents, and visitors are united by a shared story of resilience, connection, and discovery.

Short-Term Objectives (During Construction)

The short-term objectives of the Rochester Experience Strategy during the Link BRT construction focus on minimizing disruption while maximizing opportunity for the Second Street corridor’s businesses and community. Our primary aim is to maintain business visibility and revenue through practical, immediate interventions such as pop-up events, enhanced digital marketing, and temporary wayfinding solutions that guide customers past construction barriers. Through technical assistance in operations, storefront design, and digital tools, we equip businesses to respond effectively to the evolving conditions.

Additionally, initiating a mentorship program will connect top-performing businesses with those facing challenges, fostering collaboration and sharing effective strategies to sustain customer engagement. Community activations, including small-scale events and placemaking efforts like temporary seating or art installations, will keep the corridor active and appealing, encouraging residents and visitors to remain engaged despite the construction.

Long-Term Aspirations (Post-Construction)

The long-term aspirations of the Rochester Experience Strategy extend beyond the construction phase to establish the Second Street corridor as a thriving, distinctive destination that drives Rochester’s economic and social vitality. Our goal is to position the corridor as a must-visit hub, leveraging the completed BRT infrastructure to attract regional visitors and enhance accessibility, thereby boosting local commerce and property values.

Through sustained business support, we will build a resilient business ecosystem capable of adapting to future shifts. Permanent placemaking features, including interactive public spaces, interactive installations, and sensory enhancements, will create a unique identity that draws people to linger and return. By fostering enduring partnerships among businesses, city officials, and residents, we aim to cultivate a unified vision that strengthens community pride and supports Rochester’s broader ambitions, including its role as a global healthcare destination via the Destination Medical Center.

Core Principles

We begin with five foundational principles that shape the entire plan, informing both the overall vision and the day-to-day steps that will guide Second Street through its transformation. Innovation and leadership empower business owners to act as stewards of Rochester’s future, introducing strategies that keep customers engaged during disruption. Simultaneously, hospitality ensures that every interaction, no matter how small, leaves a lasting, positive impression. The experience economy inspires businesses to elevate these interactions into unique moments worth revisiting, reinforcing both loyalty and foot traffic.

Collaboration is woven throughout, promoting the cross-pollination of ideas across businesses, so that no one enterprise stands alone. Finally, operational excellence grounds these aspirations in tangible processes, instilling confidence in customers and partners alike. Together, these principles equip the corridor to emerge from construction with a renewed sense of purpose and a strong foundation for long-term growth.

Innovation and Leadership

Innovation and leadership set the tone for how businesses can step forward and take ownership of their future. Rather than simply waiting for construction to end, forward-thinking owners and civic champions can explore new ideas that include themed events, curbside pickup enhancements, or online marketing collaborations, to remain visible and valuable to customers. This mindset repositions business owners as active stewards of Rochester’s evolution, driving momentum and inspiring others to invest in bold, transformative solutions. Emphasis is placed on overcoming potential barriers, which may include limited available time or expertise on the business owners’ side, by ensuring all suggestions are low-effort, highimpact ideas.

Hospitality

Even in an era of e-commerce and rapid change, hospitality remains essential: every storefront, restaurant, or service provider should treat visitors as guests, creating a memorable experience they want to return to. A welcoming handshake at the door, a small token of gratitude for patient customers, or simply a well-designed space that feels inviting, these are examples of how hospitality can mitigate the inconveniences of construction. By emphasizing genuine warmth and care in every interaction, businesses can turn casual visitors into loyal supporters, even when the street outside is lined with cones and detours.

Specific offerings will vary by business type, so the recommendations, guidance and capacity building will be tailored on a case by case basis.

Experience Economy

Building on the principles of hospitality, the experience economy encourages business owners to transform routine transactions into immersive moments worth talking about. A coffee shop might host hands-on latte art classes, while a boutique could hold in-store styling events that focus on sustainability or local craftsmanship. These offerings go beyond typical sales

strategies, forging deeper emotional connections and giving visitors plenty of reasons to explore and linger along Second Street. By coupling this creativity with the broader public space enhancements, the corridor itself becomes an attraction.

Constraints found during contingencies, for example construction around a place of business, require that ideas and recommendations are scalable and flexible, to be able to adapt to several businesses collaborating as one, or changing the experiential offering to follow construction phases and changing conditions.

Collaboration

No single business thrives in a vacuum, and this project emphasizes the importance of collaboration. By sharing insights, mentorship, and marketing efforts, both established and newer ventures can learn from each other and adapt quickly. For instance, a successful retailer might offer workshops on window displays or inventory management, while a local start-up could share new approaches to social media or mobile ordering. This mutual support ensures that everyone has the tools to succeed, boosting the overall health of the corridor.

Operational Excellence

Finally, operational excellence underpins all these principles by providing a reliable framework for growth. A robust approach to day-to-day management, from inventory control to staff training, guarantees that creative initiatives and collaborative efforts don’t fall flat. Clear, consistent processes help businesses remain agile in the face of disruptions, ensuring that high service standards persist regardless of what’s happening in the street outside. Maintaining this level of discipline and consistency fosters trust with customers, partners, and the broader community, setting the stage for long-term success beyond the construction phase.

The Experience-First Approach

The main goal for the Experience-First approach of this project is to achieve a mindset shift that takes business owners and users of the corridor from a contingency mentality to one that ushers the future.

The consequent leap takes this project from a simple infrastructure upgrade to a catalyst for lasting community growth. When construction is viewed through the lens of customer and stakeholder experience, every cone or detour becomes an opportunity to strengthen relationships rather than disrupt them. Shaping how people understand, feel, and behave in a highly stressful time will add value to the process, forge more robust partnerships, and build valuable skills for both the city, its local business clients, and the diverse user community.

This shift in perspective helps users interact in more a meaningful manner with the construction site, allowing businesses to maintain steady revenue and foot traffic during the most challenging phases of construction. Additionally, it lays the groundwork for enduring partnerships and shared vision once the dust settles. We use techniques of creative problemsolving, consistent communication, collaborative building, and a sense of community ownership, to ensure the corridor can evolve into a thriving hub that people seek out, and return to, long after the final barricades are cleared.

This experience-first approach has the added benefit of helping local businesses embrace their role as active co-creators of Rochester’s future. Instead of simply bracing for construction, owners, operators, and civic leaders can collaborate on memorable interventions that resonate with customers and neighbors alike. Whether through pop-up events, innovative wayfinding, or curated community spaces, the focus on experience keeps the corridor top of mind, builds partnerships, and fosters deeper connections.

To ensure this is achieved in a seamless, smooth manner, we have created a detailed strategic blueprint where each of the components of the strategy and the necessary steps to achieve its goals are elaborated. Further work to complete an action plan with tasks and responsible parties may be needed, as well as metrics to measure success, typically administered in the form of surveys.

Why Choose An Experience Strategy

As explained in detail in the Introduction, an Experience Strategy is a planned approach to crafting how people feel, behave, and connect with an environment over time, well beyond the purely functional aspects of design or construction. It seeks to unify all touchpoints into a cohesive journey that addresses emotional responses, user expectations, and overall engagement.

Implementing an Experience Strategy during the Link BRT construction on Second Street will shape both the short-term and long-term perception of the corridor. Typically, such an approach can involve thoughtfully placed wayfinding that turns detours into playful pathways, or small pop-up “comfort stations” with seating or shade to encourage visitors to linger instead of avoiding the area.

After the BRT is operational, the same approach transforms Second Street and its supported, related and ancillary public spaces into a must-visit destination by tying together improved transit accessibility with updated storefronts, public art, and interactive elements. Through continuous storytelling, via social media updates, on-site signage, or local press, businesses stay visible, community pride remains high, and the construction phase itself becomes part of a larger narrative of progress and opportunity.

A transformative Experience Strategy for the Second Street corridor must blend a shift in perception with the practical, on-the-ground resources that help businesses stay profitable. By clarifying stakeholder roles, we can rally the right advocates around a unified message that repositions the construction phase as a promising leap into the future.

A cohesive narrative and heightened visibility allows merchants to maintain robust customer engagement, while tactical placemaking enhances the street-level experience amid disruptions. Community-driven events fortify local bonds, and direct business support, focused on mentorship, collaboration, and innovative marketing, boosts entrepreneurs’ resilience.

Building on this foundation, we’ve identified the critical components of the strategy, which together form a holistic approach to revitalizing Second Street. Each of these components prepares the corridor for a lasting evolution, culminating in a broader vision that rebrands the district as a destination where local commerce thrives long after construction.

Strategic Components of the Experience Strategy

Our Experience Strategy is built around three implementable pillars: World Building, Key Experience Moments, and Business Support. These components work in unison to convert detours and disruptions into high-frequency user engagement, drive foot traffic and alternative channel sales, and build operational resilience for corridor businesses.

We invite people to participate in the narrative rather than just observe it, and be partners in building instead of subjects of a top-down intervention. When applied to urban spaces, such an approach transforms an otherwise inhospitable construction zone into an evolving set of stories, turns businesses into interactive characters, and shifts the streetscape into a dynamic stage where visitors and locals become active participants. The principles of immersive storytelling help us to create an experience that feels purposeful and layered, encouraging people to return, explore, and engage more deeply with the corridor throughout its transformation.

Collaboration to achieve the objectives is a very important part of the Experience Strategy. Parallel to the development of the narrative and the immersive Placemaking efforts that support it, a platform for increasing the capacity of local business and enable community collaboration brings our Core Principles to the table to craft specific solutions to assist and to pair businesses as they move through the construction.

This methodology sequences interventions across users’ daily routines within the construction site and impacted businesses, and aligns each tactic with user needs and emotional outcomes. Each phase outlines priorities, roles, and deliverables to ensure implementation stays adaptive and measurable.

The underlying thread in each of the sections below is an understanding of the process as the creation of a corridor that thrives during the construction, and later emerges as a model of experience-driven downtown revitalization.

This structure ensures the Experience Strategy remains focused, actionable, and aligned with the Corridor’s needs during construction, as well as after, as more components of the built environment are incorporated into the public realm.

The three components of the strategy are:

• World Building, where we create a rich, believable environment that feels intentional, complete with visual and thematic elements that invite exploration. This includes curating the narrative architecture and sensory framework for the corridor, including visual identity, user personas, and a mapped emotional journey, to ensure every intervention is intentional and emotionally resonant.

• Key Experience Moments, which are tactical Placemaking activations, both physical and digital, designed to intercept daily user behavior with surprise, joy, and meaning, and ensure a time well spent. The design of each Key Experience Moment is modular, replicable, and tailored to the unique conditions o f each construction phase.

• Business Support, where we offer direct technical assistance and peer mentorship designed to preserve revenue streams and visibility during construction. Tactics include storefront audits, training labs, and shared marketing systems to ensure customer engagement and retention, collaboration, resource sharing, and capacity building.

Designing For Emotional Response

We define four target emotional outcomes: wonder, hope, belonging, and joy, and use them to inform every physical and digital touchpoint. Each design intervention is engineered around proven behavioral triggers (e.g. 7-second multi-sensory bursts to spike serotonin and dopamine). Emotional pacing is coded to offer engagement to each user group. Every interaction within the corridor, whether it’s reading a sign, engaging with a public space, or entering a business, should evoke a specific emotional response that aligns with the broader Experience Strategy.

• Wonder is triggered through unexpected visual or sensory features—such as light activations or sound effects—positioned at key transition points like alleyways or scaffolding tunnels.

• Hope is conveyed through progress tracking tools (e.g., construction countdowns, visualized project timelines) that keep the public oriented and informed.

• Belonging is cultivated through participatory tools such as community murals or storytelling stations that allow users to see their contribution reflected in the corridor.

• Joy is delivered through ambient play — such as walk-activated sound or color displays — embedded into daily movement.

The four primary emotional goals will guide every interaction, aided by consistency of the emotional clues embedded in the design, intent, and messaging across touchpoints.

World Building

Building on our foundational principles and core components, the next step is to create the blueprint that will translate these concepts into concrete, real-world solutions. It will ensure that any proposed action is directly tied to the actual needs and aspirations of the project. Second Street serves two distinct populations: the Mayo Clinic workforce and patient community, and Rochester locals. Their interaction with public space follows different rhythms. Our strategy deliberately overlays interventions at high-traffic crossover points, introducing shared amenities such as the community boards, designed to generate frictionless overlap and spontaneous interaction.

This dynamic, compounded by the three levels of pathways, each with a distinct offer, has created a multi-level challenge. The Experience Strategy will address where audiences naturally intersect while tailoring the experience to their unique routines. The ultimate goal of guiding local businesses through the construction, and building up their capacity to upgrade their value proposition after is fully developed in the Local Business Support Strategy section.

Building on the core principles and identifying key opportunities for intervention, we can craft a targeted approach that addresses both immediate construction challenges and longer-term goals for growth. Our strategy introduces a tailored offer that meets each user group where they are most disrupted, and offers educational, entertainment, and hospitable components that help navigate the contingency and move through the corridor quickly. This shared environment will encourage the local community and the Mayo Clinic community to meet, interact, and engage with downtown businesses and public spaces alike.

This process grounds every suggestion in the corridor’s unique context, ensuring that strategic decisions are innovative, practical, and feasible for the businesses and stakeholders they aim to support. At this point, a critical step is to incorporate the proposed Key Experience Moments and Business support elements with strategies, moves, and tactics already in place as part of the contingency. Temporary transit stops, messaging, online channels such as a dedicated website, and even a hotline for addressing questions and needs are already underway. It’s critical that they follow a logic and integrate with the Experience Strategy, to form a cohesive response to construction issues and local business needs.

Construction will disrupt users, who will prioritize quick passage over lingering. An inclusive design of the corridor with unique user groups in mind, helps create a space that mitigates immediate challenges and promotes long-term growth.

Our design addresses this by incorporating on-street solutions that ensure reasonable, streamlined, and attractive pathways. The Key Experience Moments create moments that produce wonder, belonging, hope, and joy, offering a journey that is both functional and enchanting.

User Personas

Following our process for understanding the users of the corridor and incorporating a variety of stakeholder profiles into the design of the Experience Strategy, we have designed the following five Personas, based on the most impacted user groups during the construction. They are meant to represent the diverse needs and perspectives of the Second Street corridor’s stakeholders during street closures, alternate transit routes, and limited access to businesses:

1. Emily Johnson ( red )

• Demographics: 65 years old, teacher, from Iowa

• Bio: Emily is a dedicated teacher with a passion for history and art. She’s in Rochester one week at a time, for a series of medical treatments over the next few months.

• Goals:

• Manage her health effectively while in Rochester.

• Explore the city’s cultural sites when energy permits.

• Find accessible, reliable transportation options.

• Challenges:

• Unfamiliarity with Rochester’s layout and transit system.

• Fatigue and limitations for long-range movement.

• Balancing rest with her curiosity about the city.

• Behaviors:

• Relies on public transit or ride shares for mobility.

• Seeks quiet, restful spots to recharge between appointments.

• Visits cultural attractions like museums or historical sites when possible.

• Time Availability:

• Typical schedule: Unpredictable, driven by medical appointments.

• Peak busy times: Mornings and early afternoons (appointments).

• Windows of free time: Late afternoons or evenings, if energy allows.

• Willingness to spend extra time: Low, unless it’s for a must-see cultural experience.

• Rochester Connection: Temporary visitor for medical care, with an interest in the city’s culture and history.

• Target emotions: Hope, Belonging

• Emotional Impact: Emily feels restored and connected to Rochester, turning her exhausting walk into a rejuvenating moment of respite.

2. Dr. Michael Chen ( blue )

• Demographics: 38 years old, surgeon, lives in Pill Hill, close to St Mary’s Hospital.

• Bio: Michael is a skilled surgeon at Mayo Clinic, committed to his patients and his young family. He values efficiency in his daily routine and quality time outside of work.

• Goals:

• Commute to work quickly and reliably.

• Maintain a healthy work-life balance.

• Challenges:

• Long, unpredictable shifts that disrupt personal plans.

• High stress from a demanding job.

• Limited time for errands or relaxation.

• Behaviors:

• Drives to work for speed and flexibility.

• Uses short breaks for quick errands or professional reading.

• Attends medical conferences or family events when o duty.

• Time Availability:

• Typical schedule: 10-12 hour shifts, often irregular.

• Peak busy times: Weekdays, especially mornings and late afternoons.

• Windows of free time: Some evenings and weekends, if not on call.

• Willingness to spend extra time: Low, unless for family or career growth.

• Rochester Connection: Long-term resident and Mayo Clinic employee, deeply tied to the area through work and family.

• Target emotions: Hope, Joy

• Emotional Impact: Dr. Chen feels equipped and uplifted, gaining a burst of energy to face his busy day with confidence.

3. Maria Gonzalez ( pink )

• Demographics: 28 years old, administrative assistant, part-time student

• Bio: Maria is an ambitious hospital worker balancing her administrative job with evening classes in healthcare administration. She’s determined to advance her career while managing a tight schedule.

• Goals:

• Get to work reliably using public transit.

• Find quick, convenient lunch options near the hospital.

• Balance work with her studies.

• Challenges:

• Construction disruptions affecting her bus route.

• Tight daily schedule with little flexibility.

• Limited budget for transportation alternatives.

• Behaviors:

• Takes the bus to and from work daily.

• Grabs lunch from downtown eateries during breaks.

• Studies at home or in transit during evenings.

• Time Availability:

• Typical schedule: 8-hour shifts, followed by evening classes.

• Peak busy times: Mornings (commute) and lunch hours.

• Windows of free time: Limited; occasional weekends.

• Willingness to spend extra time: Very low, due to work and study commitments.

• Rochester Connection: Works at the hospital and studies locally, with aspirations to grow her career in the city.

• Target emotions: Joy, Belonging

• Emotional Impact: Maria enjoys a convenient and delightful break, transforming her routine wait into a cheerful, community-focused experience.

4. John Smith ( green )

• Demographics: 50 years old, café owner, Rochester resident

• Bio: John has owned a cozy café near Second Street for 20 years, priding himself on its welcoming vibe and loyal customer base. He’s a fixture in the local business community.

• Goals:

• Keep his café visible and accessible despite construction.

• Attract customers and maintain revenue.

• Preserve a warm, inviting atmosphere for patrons.

• Challenges:

• Reduced foot traffic due to construction barriers.

• Noise and dust disrupting the café experience.

• Potential loss of regular customers to less-affected areas.

• Behaviors:

• Opens early and closes late.

• Engages with customers personally to build loyalty.

• Time Availability:

• Typical schedule: 12-hour days at the café.

• Peak busy times: Morning rush and lunch hours.

• Windows of free time: Mid-afternoons, often used for business tasks.

• Willingness to spend extra time: Moderate, if it benefits his café or community ties.

• Rochester Connection: Long-time resident and business owner, deeply invested in the city’s economic and social fabric.

• Target emotions: Belonging, Wonder

• Emotional Impact: John feels a sense of connection with fellow merchants and optimism for his café’s future as it flourishes in this shared space.

5. Nurse Nicole Adams ( surgical blue )

• Demographics: 35 years old, registered nurse, works at Mayo Clinic

• Bio: Nicole has worked at Mayo Clinic for over a decade, often taking on late shifts. Despite a demanding job, she strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance and stay connected to her community.

• Goals:

• Safe path from the hospital to transit stops.

• A healthy work-life balance despite irregular hours.

• Find quick, reliable ways to rest or grab a meal during short breaks.

• Challenges:

• Long shifts at odd hours.

• Physical and emotional exhaustion.

• Limited access to amenities like food or rest areas during odd hours.

• Navigating the corridor safely during late-night or earlymorning shifts.

• Behaviors:

• Relies on walking or public transit for her commute, especially during late hours.

• Takes short breaks to rest or grab a quick meal, often at odd times when most places are closed.

• Seeks quiet, safe spots to unwind during breaks.

• Time Availability:

• Typical schedule: 12-hour shifts, often at night or early mornings (e.g., 7 PM–7 AM).

• Peak busy times: During shift hours, especially late nights and early mornings.

• Windows of free time: Short breaks during shifts (15–30 minutes) and days o vary weekly.

• Willingness to spend extra time: Low, due to fatigue and limited free time.

• Rochester Connection:

• Long-term resident and Mayo Clinic employee, deeply tied to the city through her work and community involvement.

• Target Emotions: Hope, Belonging

• Emotional Impact: Nicole finds a moment of peace and comfort during her late-night break, feeling a sense of belonging to the city’s caregiving tradition and hope for a refreshed return to her shift.

6. Sarah Thompson ( orange )

• Demographics: 32 years old, graphic designer, lives near Kutzky Park

• Bio: Sarah is a freelance designer who cherishes Rochester’s community events and local shops. She works from home and often visits downtown events, restaurants, galleries, and coffee shops.

• Goals:

• Enjoy her neighborhood’s vibrancy and accessibility.

• Support local businesses she knows and loves.

• Maintain her current relation to local businesses.

• Challenges:

• Construction noise disrupting her home office.

• Changes to walking or biking routes she relies on.

• Potential traffic increases affecting her daily routine.

• Behaviors:

• Walks or bikes to work and local shops.

• Shops at nearby businesses to support the community.

• Attends neighborhood events.

• Time Availability:

• Typical schedule: Flexible work hours (9 AM–5 PM).

• Peak busy times: Mornings (commute) and late afternoons (errands).

• Windows of free time: Evenings and weekends.

• Willingness to spend extra time: High, especially for community or leisure activities.

• Rochester Connection: Proud resident with a strong attachment to the city’s culture and local spirit.

• Target emotions: Wonder, Joy

• Emotional Impact: Sarah feels inspired and more tied to her community, her creative contribution deepening her sense of place and pride.

Emotional Journey Mapping

An Emotional Journey Map is a visual tool used to illustrate the emotional experience of a person as they interact with a product, service, or environment over time. Unlike traditional journey maps that focus on physical actions (like clicking a button or visiting a store) or specific touchpoints (like a website or a help desk), an Emotional Journey Map zeros in on the feelings each of our user personas experiences at each stage of their journey.

It answers questions like: What delights them? What frustrates them? When do they feel inspired or let down? By focusing on emotions, this map helps designers, businesses, or teams understand the human side of an experience and make it more meaningful.

Every interaction feels intentional, with emotional peaks, like a hidden mural sparking wonder for Emily or a community stories told along common routes, fostering belonging for Sarah, turning the corridor into a shared journey of transformation and delight. These “Key Experience Moments” reframe construction disruptions as part of a larger story of progress, making the corridor feel alive and purposeful for everyone.

Audience: Local, higher end, quirky offer, good quality, hip and modern.

SENSORY TRIGGERS: Dynamic bursts that surprise users, micro shows that amaze and upset routines

Audience: Local, no affiliation with Mayo, using public space all the time. High quality offer. Novelty to offset disruption

SENSORY TRIGGERS: Interactivity, immersive response to prompted action, unexpected rewards

Integration of two different audiences. More broad, wide appealing

SENSORY TRIGGERS: Stories told by the community, community spaces crafted collectively

The journey map helps target the desired emotions and envision interventions that appeal to each user group. The design of the Key Experience Moments will draw from these insights to achieve the objectives of community builiding, smooth navigation of the construction phases, and local business support.

Audience: Mostly Mayo crowd, looking for respite. Would venture out with a good reason

SENSORY TRIGGERS: Interactive information booths, interactive progress tracking

Narrative Thread

The Second St. Corridor Experience’s narrative framework cultivates the desired emotions of joy, wonder, belonging, and hope. It reimagines the Second Street corridor as a living, evolving story. These Storytelling guidelines draw from the city’s legacy of resilience and innovation, positioning the construction phase as Act 1: The Transformation Begins. Through a central theme, recurring motifs, and local entrepreneurs as "characters" who celebrate Rochester’s entrepreneurial spirit, the alternate routes and pathways become part of an immersive experience that fits into a broader tale of progress and community spirit.

In a future Act 2: Now, We Build, we might imagine the post-construction phase, where we will incorporate the lessons from the disruption into the Rochester toolkit for building prosperity.

The storyline is simple and adaptable, able to react seamlessly and quickly to construction phases or seasonal shifts. Early on, pieces and themes should emphasize construction with tales of the Dubuque Trail and railroad building; midway, highlight resilience and innovation with how medical breakthroughs have shaped Rochester; and at completion, all the touchpoints should celebrate community through interactive art capturing Rochester’s essence.

Magic Touch: The alternate pathways established to help users navigate the construction site become an adventure, supported by the Key Experience Moments, designed with the sensory triggers in mind. Strategies like color coded protection barriers, pathway floors, or scaffolding tunnels, guide users into a story where murals, signs, and digital touchpoints installed along the path ignite curiosity and forge a personal connection to Rochester’s unfolding journey.

As the user moves through distinct areas of the site, they interact with a different chapter of the transformation story and engage “in real life” (IRL) with educational content presented by a familiar cast of characters, in a physical setting enhanced by digital tools, taking their attention away from the disruption of their usual routes. The users daily journey through the site becomes part of something larger, as they seamlessly absorb the stories that celebrates the city’s past triumphs and future promise.

The corridor experience will be anchored in the idea of "Rochester’s Journey: From Healing to Hope", linking the corridor’s renewal to historical turning points in the city, like the creation the Mayo Clinic as the driving economic force of the city, and tracing a parallel between the growth of the city’s flagship institution from the original hospital to a global leader in medical innovation. Acts 1 and 2 are set in this framework and follow the journey from the initial sacrifices to the building up moment after the construction is over.

The emotional Tone follows the target emotions of wonder, hope, and belonging. The clatter of machinery and dust of progress are signs of a city unafraid to evolve. The Key Message is "Rochester has always risen stronger from challenge—partner with us into this new beginning.”

To bring "Rochester’s Journey: From Healing to Hope" to life, the corridor’s design will follow a few narrative principles, starting with “World-Building”, which is the art and science of crafting immersive, believable, and emotionally resonant environments that transport guests into a fully realized narrative universe.

Imagine navigating the Second Street corridor through unknown paths not because you chose to, but because construction has upended your usual routes. The reality of construction contingencies is that no effort can be enough to make up for the inconveniences. The alternate routes and makeshift pathways are a reality, day after day, for months on end. Yet, amid the barriers and detours, subtle sparks of wonder, joy, belonging, and hope weave into the routine, turning an inconvenient trek into something unexpectedly uplifting.

These interactive moments are playful yet unobtrusive, designed to blend seamlessly into the user’s daily life without adding effort or feeling stale over time. From Placemaking and soundscapes, lighting, and even the way people move through the space, world-building ensures that every aspect feels authentic, engaging, and seamlessly interconnected. We thus reimagine the corridor and the designated routes and pathways through the construction site to keep the journey fresh and inspiring, even as the construction drags on.

Rochester’s Journey: From Healing to Hope

Act 1: The Transformation Begins

“The air rumbles with the pulse of progress—hammers ring out like a heartbeat, machines hum a song of possibility, and dust pirouettes in the sunlight, the noise becomes both witness to transformation, and a promise of renewal. The corridor alive with change, whispers a tale as old as Rochester itself. History, to our city, may have been gentle and may have been tough, yet healing and renewal are in its heart. Steady hands guide the future, faith shifts horizons and a robust community grows. Humble seeds have grown into a city that is a beacon of hope that lights the world.

“Today, as Second Street bends and shifts beneath the clamor of construction, we’re not just watching history, we’re making it. This is your story, etched in every detour and delay. To the patient seeking solace, you walk a path of healing paved by generations. To the medical professional, your dedication fuels a legacy of care. To the hospital worker, your quiet strength keeps this engine alive. To the local business owner, your adaptability turns dust into opportunity. And to the resident, your pride roots this city’s soul deep in the soil.

“Let’s walk through the noise and into the narrative. Lining our path is a canvas where disruption paints renewal, where every one of us authors the next chapter of Rochester’s enduring spirit.

Act 2: Now, We Build

“There shall be building…

To be continued.

Integration With Current Initiatives

The city of Rochester has been implementing several responses to the various issues that arise during confusing times. Construction has a horizon with several phases, timed disruption of different segments of Second St. and uncertain outcomes that depend on individual decisions of patrons during the disruption.

Many of these response initiatives are already active and serving the needs of business owners and the community. As part of a broader Experience Strategy, We would otherwise recommend the creation of a dedicated website, a hotline to directly address concerns, and a series of wayfinding solutions that inform users about transit disruptions, or alternative routes and schedules.

The World-building element sets the foundation for the solutions, both for the Key Experience Moments and business support elements, function as readable parts of the larger Experience Strategy. Connecting all the touch-points that users will have with the same goals, principles, and message is of great importance.

The Link BRT corridor has branding and an identity already created. Leveraging the work already done while integrating it to the broader Experience Strategy requires a revision of the concept, tone, and message of ongoing initiatives. Some can be easily incorporated to the strategy, as follows:

Temporary Transit Stops: as transit routes shift and people are required to walk to reach temporary stops, these can be themed and redesigned (maybe with a student design competition?) to incorporate educational messaging, construction information, and graphics similar to those in the Placemaking component of the Experience Strategy. Each one can be a part of a larger story that gets told one stop at a time and creates a trail for users to follow.

Dedicated Website: a site is already online and serving needs of users. It can incorporate a dedicated section to support the Experience Strategy, serve as a repository of local business owners’ stories, a messaging board for them to communicate their promotions and solutions to route changes and street closures, etc. It can also be the base for the interactive solutions detailed in the “Digital Placemaking” section.

Wayfinding: such solutions are best looked at from the perspective of an “active” wayfinding that transcends the limits of conventional directional wayfinding. This approach is interactive, integrates with the use of the public space and movement along pathways, and gamifies the urban experience. In a time of high disturbance of normal routines, such a playful solution can be well received and mitigate some of the construction-driven anxiety.

Hotline: this is an underestimated, very powerful tool that puts users very close to the major mood-setting element of personal contact. The touch-point is easy to manage, technologically feasible and requires no graphic barrier that the website may pose for interaction. Rather, it is a very direct way of transmitting the message and setting the mood. Aligning the scripts and protocols for answering calls with the high-level message that we intend to send is a great way to bring the experience to a full circle.

The Corridor Reimagined: Experience Design for Second Street

Users of the corridor, especially during the construction phase know this isn’t a destination. Instead, the corridor becomes a companion on the daily commute or errand run, offering quick, effortless interactions that brighten the path despite the disruption. The Narrative Arc will provide a high-level storyline, and individual stories told by local entrepreneurs. Props will make the experience believable, staging it with construction barriers that double as storytelling canvases, lights that dance as users walk by, and small gestures that connect them to Rochester’s past, present, and future. Digital enhancements will add layers for added credibility and emotional resonance.

To keep the experience vibrant and continually engaging, we’ll refresh the visuals, sounds, and surprises on a weekly basis, ensuring nothing ever feels stale while anchoring everything in the emotions of wonder, joy, belonging, and hope. Playful moments inspired by each of these feelings will seamlessly become part of users’ daily routines, whether through physical placemaking or a digital overlay, designed to evoke the right emotions during their interaction with the construction.

The goal is to turn inconvenient detours into uplifting experiences through subtle, playful interactions that evoke wonder, joy, belonging, and hope. These emotions are supported by specific moments in the journey:

Wonder: Subtle surprises that catch the eye, such as projections on barriers showing historical scenes (e.g., the 1883 tornado aftermath) or new details weekly, like a vintage bicycle or blooming flower, sparking curiosity without demanding focus.

Joy: Playful moments, such as stepping on a marked spot in the pavement that triggers a brief burst of color on a nearby screen or a cheerful chime, syncing with the user’s stride, with patterns and sounds shifting seasonally (e.g., jingle bells in winter, birdsong in spring).

Belonging: A shared mark on the journey, where users interact with a “community canvas” that welcomes each user’s contribution, forming a sprawling, evolving artwork that uplifts the corridor, resetting or shifting themes every few weeks to keep it dynamic and inclusive.

Hope: A glimpse of what’s ahead, with slim displays tracking construction progress, showing glimpses of Rochester’s future, and including fun facts about Rochester, updating regularly to reflect real progress and keep spirits up.

Keeping It Fresh Over Months

Construction lasts a while, and repetition can dull even the best ideas. Ensuring that the corridor stays engaging is a key component of the strategy. An optimal maintenance plan would include:

• Modular units: Every element should be thought from a High Level, created as a modular, replicable solution, and implemented specifically along the Second St. segment of each construction phase.

• Weekly Updates: Projections tell a new chapter of Rochester’s story—maybe a beloved local story one week, a local hero’s tale the next.

• Seasonal Shifts: Lights glow warm amber in fall, crisp blue in winter. Sounds weave in nature’s hum with surprises—a distant laugh or a soft bell—to keep the user’s attention.

• Evolving Interactions: The community canvas morphs into new designs; interactive spots change their tunes or colors. Progress displays highlight fresh milestones or future visions monthly.

The Second Street Corridor Experience Strategy aims to transform the various construction phases into engaging experiences by aligning tools with specific emotions: wonder, joy, belonging, and hope. These emotions are supported by playful moments present in physical and digital form, such as visual surprises for wonder or shared contributions for belonging, ensuring users feel connected and uplifted during their journey. The solutions must be allowed by local regulations, modular and movable, to be able to shift and be installed around each new segment of Second St. that undergoes construction.

This section has two high-level parts where we lay out the strategy and design proposals for the Placemaking (Key Experience Moments) and business support components, and a third that is a fine-grained, more closely designed proposal for implementing the Experience Strategy Placemaking component on the St. Mary’s area where one of the first phases of street closure will impact businesses and users of the corridor and transit.

Key Experience Moments

Below are four proposed public space interventions and one digital interaction opportunity. These Placemaking solutions draw from the Immersive Narrative Guidelines to engage users, help them navigate through the contingency and add touchpoints to create bonds, and forge a partnership in the construction of the future of Rochester. To achieve this we incorporate the factor of time, hence the treatment as “Key Experience Moments”.

The Placemaking installations act as sensory triggers as determined in the Emotional Journey Map, and evoke the optimal pairings of desired emotions. The solutions go back to the core principles to create a round, well justified designs and online journeys that enhance the public space experience.

1.

Step and Pause

Interactive Features: The “Pauses” are surprising key experience moments, integrated into the pathway at key moments, linked by the graphic panels. Each one is a series of construction wood-built boxes with cylindrical openings where graphics depicting key points of Rochester history are displayed in a sort of museum graphic. LED lights are programmed to randomly illuminate in patterns for 7 seconds when motion is detected or when sections of the pavement with sensors are stepped on.

A speaker on each Pause plays audio clips in the same 7 seconds, of music tied to local history or community messages, activated by the same sensors, along with a scent dispenser. Users engage when they stand in front and witness the unexpected burst of multi-sensory triggers. The seemingly arbitrary 7 second timeframe aligns with the average time needed to capture and hold attention for brief, impactful experiences. This duration is linked to the brain’s ability to process and react, triggering quick serotonin and dopamine releases, ideal for short bursts of joy.

Narrative and Emotional Resonance: The graphics tell Rochester’s history through episodic panels, each a standalone story that can be viewed in any order, reflecting the city’s journey from past to future. Panels showing the Mayo brothers’ highlight early medical beginnings, while others showing current local entrepreneurs highlight current growth. Other panels can point to future innovation, grounding users in the city’s legacy and promise. The stations with the sudden bursts of color light patterns and audio clips create joy and wonder through unexpected, playful elements that speed up the psychological pace of the construction detour.

Practical Deployment: The panels are installed on wooden barriers and tunnel enclosures along the construction pathway, integrating into each active construction site along the corridor. The panels are mounted with brackets, allowing replacement if damaged. The pausing places are in designated safe zones, ensuring they do not obstruct movement, and the solaror battery-powered lights and speakers adapt to changing conditions, requiring no site power. The setup maintains engagement across the pathway, with episodes rearrangeable as construction zones shift, ensuring flexibility and accessibility.

2. Way fi nding Stations

Overview: These innovative wayfinding kiosks are designed to enhance navigation and engagement at key urban transit points and project gateways. Standing approximately 6 feet tall, each kiosk features a sleek, minimalist aesthetic inspired by modern medical equipment, with smooth white surfaces, subtle metallic accents, and clean, futuristic lines. Crafted from lightweight, modular materials, the portable units are easily repositioned as construction zones evolve, ensuring adaptability throughout the project lifecycle.

The designed object emerges as a recognizable icon of the Second Street Experience, and serves as a wayfinding landmark that repeats throughout the site, signaling belonging, during construction and beyond. Favored locations are, for transit commuters: close to alternative transit stops and hubs, and along typical detour routes people have to walk to access transit. For automobile commuters and Mayo community: close to access points to major parking garages, major skyway hubs, and subway access hubs.

Interactive Features: At the heart of the design is a prominent, illuminated circular button— glowing soft blue—positioned at waist height to spark curiosity and invite interaction. A single press activates a high-resolution, 2-foot-wide digital display showcasing a dynamic area map with walking times, project completion updates, vision renderings, a business directory, and

practical tips for catching alternative transit routes, accessible by navigating on the touchscreen. The one-second action of pushing the button, a favorite among users at experiential retail destinations, delivers an immersive “You’re part of this” moment through vibrant visuals. A discreet QR code on the side links to the project’s landing page with additional educational content and business support strategies.

Sensory and Emotional Impact: The glowing button and responsive display create a sense of dynamic motion that evokes wonder, while the content visualizes progress and connectivity, fostering an emotional tie to the journey ahead and providing hope. Subtle design cues such as the medical-inspired aesthetic, hint at precision and care.

Practical Deployment: Strategically placed at site gateways, transit stops and major intersections, the kiosks serve as welcoming beacons that reflect the project wayfinding efforts. Their standalone design integrates seamlessly into urban settings, and can be moved and relocated at will.

3. Community Canvas

Overview: The Community Canvas is a vibrant, interactive installation designed to capture Rochester’s collective spirit along a revitalized urban corridor. The finalized object is a wooden board, mounted on a sturdy metal frame, standing as an accessible centerpiece in a bustling pedestrian walkway. A bold, pre-drawn tree with sprawling dark green branches anchors the design, inviting users to contribute by pinning colorful, leaf-shaped cards to its limbs or sketching directly on the surface with provided markers.

Interactive Features: Passersby of all ages add their mark, in the form of doodles, messages, stories, or ideas, transforming the canvas into a compounding, dynamic, evolving community artwork of swirling blues, purples, and greens. A small tray at the base offers markers and blank cards, ensuring quick, spontaneous participation suits time-pressed users. Periodically refreshed and properly documented, the canvas incorporates community insights into broader project displays, and in some cases, improvements to the project flow.

Narrative and Emotional Resonance: Mirroring the collaborative partnership for the corridor renewal, the canvas embodies community-driven progress. The growing tree, adorned with new leaves and notes, sparks curiosity and evokes a sense of belonging as contributors see their voices added to the whole. Joy emerges from both the act of creation and casual

encounters with the ever-changing result. Closing the feedback loop is important. Incorporating some of the recommendations in future iterations of the Experience Strategy can show users that their contribution, time, and effort is valued.

Practical Deployment: Positioned in high-traffic pedestrian zones, the standalone structure thrives in daylight, framed by urban renewal—brick facades and distant cranes. Its simplicity and accessibility make it a natural hub for connection, reflection, and pride.

4. Progress Bar

Overview: The Progress Bar is a pop-up rest station, designed as an actual bar, installed in a semi-hidden nook that walkers “discover” along a safe and secure part of the construction pathway. The station centers on a wooden bar counter shaded by a canopy. A digital display is embedded on the structure, showing a horizontal progress bar with a green fill against a gray background, tracking construction progress with a big number, and showing street closures and other useful information on the same screen. Optimal placement for the Progress Bar is on open spaces along the construction pathways where users can slow down and interact. Ideally, places not impacted with noise and dirt.

Interactive Features: The bar serves cold water during summer, and hot drinks during colder months. It incorporates both digitally displayed and printed project information, as well as Rochester merchandising to hint at identity and civic pride building. A wooden feedback box allows users to leave comments. The attendant is trained to provide the latest announcements and project facts to be able to provide information to users. Two wooden benches are placed in front of the bar for seating.

Narrative and Emotional Resonance: The Progress Bar reflects the construction process through its display. Ambient sounds and a light show, plus the presence of the trained attendant foster a sense of belonging. The setup frames construction noise as part of the experience, while the visible construction progress display encourages hope among users who stop to rest and engage.

Practical Deployment: Positioned in a nook that users seem to discover organically, the station enhances the corridor’s atmosphere without obstructing movement. A sign with the words 'Progress Bar' in black text hangs above the canopy, making the space visible and hints at the story. The structure and assembly are modular and allow the bar to be dismounted and reassembled in other areas of the site.

5. Innovative Digital Placemaking

Overview: A concept designed by Storefront Mastery as part of the Experiential Strategy and developed by an external third party, the “Steps To The Future" Interactive Journey is a no-download web app hosted on a cloud server, accessible via QR codes placed at 50 corridor markers (transit stops, intersections, and local business storefronts) across Rochester, MN. The app integrates three components: a QR code story trail, a scavenger hunt, and an interactive game. Users scan QR codes using a smartphone to access a web interface that delivers content—1-2 minute videos, 30-second audio clips, and 500-word articles—about Rochester’s medical history and local businesses, stored in a database and linked to each QR code. Scanning unlocks narrative pieces, forming a timeline of the city’s past, present, and future, tracked by a progress bar displaying the percentage of story pieces (out of 50) and virtual city elements unlocked. The "Steps to the Future" game uses a pedometer API or

manual input to track users’ physical steps, with every 100 steps adding a building or park to a virtual Rochester model, rendered in 2D within the app. Milestones at 500-step intervals unlock additional content, such as 200-word facts or 3D visualizations of future developments, stored as static assets.

Interactive Features:

QR Code Story Trail (Scavenger Hunt): Users scan QR codes at various locations to unlock multimedia content, including 1-2 minute videos (e.g., historical reenactments), 30-second audio clips (e.g., tales from figures like Dr. Plummer), and 500-word articles (e.g., "Stories of Second Street"). Each scan adds a piece to Rochester’s narrative timeline, with a progress bar tracking collected story pieces (out of 50). Collecting all pieces unlocks rewards like gift cards or discounts at local businesses.

"Steps to the Future" Interactive Game: Users’ physical steps, tracked via a pedometer API or manual input, contribute to building a virtual 2D model of Rochester. Every 100 steps add elements like buildings or parks, while milestones at 500-step intervals unlock bonus content, such as 200-word facts or 3D visualizations of future developments. Scanning QR codes also awards bonus steps, linking the game to the scavenger hunt.

Progress Tracking and Rewards: A unified progress bar monitors both story pieces collected and steps contributed to the virtual city. Completing the journey—either by gathering all story pieces or hitting key step milestones—earns prizes. A community leaderboard showcases collective progress, fostering shared engagement.

Narrative and Emotional Resonance: The experience weaves Rochester’s story from past to future through multimedia content, evoking powerful emotions:

• Belonging: Stories of the city’s history and community deepen users’ connection to Rochester.

• Hope: Building a virtual future city and glimpsing upcoming developments inspire optimism about what lies ahead.

• Joy: Gamified exploration, rewards, and discovery infuse everyday routines with fun and excitement.

Practical Deployment: The web app is hosted on a cloud server and can be accessed conveniently through QR codes, meaning users don’t need to bother with app store downloads —all they need is a smartphone. These QR codes are thoughtfully placed at 50 different spots around Rochester, making the app widely available to anyone in the area. It’s designed specifically for quick and easy use, with fast-loading content that suits the schedules of busy people like surgeons, staff, or even passersby. Best of all, it delivers a meaningful experience in just a few minutes, perfect for those on the go.

Public Space Activation

Allocating budget and streamlining use allowances and permits to activate public spaces is a powerful strategy to invigorate communities and boost local economies. Through a dynamic plan for collaborations with local businesses, events, and festivals, these activations offer robust reasons for people to visit, linger, and spend, directly supporting merchants while building capacity and community.

A strategic intervention to activate public spaces, in the context of the subway, skyway, and street level layers of pedestrian pathways, must incorporate the factor of time to craft an attractive, creative offer at street level during subway and skyway closing times.

The primary aim of this component is to revitalize public spaces during the construction period through a series of coordinated actions aimed at increasing business visibility, properly communicating their continued operations and alternative parking or accessibility conditions, and providing signage and wayfinding.

Additional efforts to support local businesses during construction are detailed in the following section. However, some of these are directly linked to Key Experience Moments and public realm improvements, thus justifying their presence within the Experience creation section.

A key component of this strategy is the integration of local merchants into the activations. Involving businesses in events and providing opportunities for them to showcase their products and services will drive foot traffic and boost economic activity in the area.

Additionally, the plan places a strong emphasis on maintaining the appeal of street-level spaces, particularly during times when the subway and skyway are not in operation. Through creative enhancements and targeted programming, we will ensure that the street level remains a dynamic and attractive destination throughout the day and evening.

Events set in the project site, with the enhancements as backdrop, can act as powerful incentives to spend time in the area, add vibrancy to the local shops, and build robust community bonds in the process. The idea is to connect to local events with activity enhancers such as:

• Key Experience Moments: Each one of the moments has the potential to congregate people and activate a space, thus allowing local businesses to maintain their offer, and users to keep patronizing the impacted businesses.

• Pop-up innovation labs: These are physical hubs inside vacant storefronts or on repurposed shipping containers, trailers, etc., where established local businesses, entrepreneurs with startup ideas, and residents collaborate to prototype solutions for the current situation or for longer-term issues close to the broader Rochester community.

• Food activations: Pop-up meetups where trucks, carts or other pop-up vendors show up to create small gatherings that supply content for spreading the word about the new mood of the town after construction ends; or where food entrepreneurs can find mentoring, incubation and other business services.

• Craft or Flea Markets: Entrepreneurial initiatives that offer fun, quirky goods and operate in a pop-up basis, in outdoor or indoor spaces, contributing to build hope, joy, and belonging.

Magic Touch: Replicating the decentralized nature of street performances in Peace Plaza, which are taken from the formal stage to a “busker” format in a corner of the plaza. The organic feel of these performative interventions is a large contributing factor to summon the local identity, build up civic pride, and give purpose to both local business owners and area users.

Implementation Guidelines

1. Coordinating Team: Form a team including city staff, Rochester Downtown Alliance, local business representatives, community members, and external consultants to develop an activation plan as one of the components straddling Placemaking and Business Support.

2. Action Plan: A comprehensive action map to create a list of partners, local artists and cultural entrepreneurs, existing local events, and potential new activations; integrate existing events with new initiatives, provide clear avenues for stakeholders to create their own activations, and design solutions timed with each phase of street closure and tailored to construction impacts and stakeholder priorities. Part of the plan is a flexible schedule aligning events with construction phases and ensuring street-level appeal during subway and skyway closing times, adapting to real-time updates. Allow for changes, adding new events with short notice, and scaling up successful ones.

3. Streamlined Permits: Instead of requiring separate permits for each activation, the team collaborates with the Task Force to establish a legally binding "What is Allowed" document. These documents pre-approve flexible interventions (i.e. temporary seating or signage) that can be easily removed or adapted if needs arise, cutting approval times from weeks to days and fostering agility during the BRT construction. Permission statements replace conventional permitting processes with a broader, pre-approved framework, aligning with an emphasis on enabling quick action. This approach benefits the Second St. corridor construction by allowing a rapid deployment of events, street furniture, or signage, to support businesses along the corridor.

4. Strategic Partnerships: For the Key Experience Moments, implementing the design solutions can benefit from partnerships with local makers collectives or technological communities that can develop designs, fabricate, create, and deploy the components. For individual businesses, which will find their tailored solutions to mitigate loss of foot traffic and direct access to their front doors, there may be a need to negotiate in advance certain specific concessions from the City, from individual property owners, or from Mayo Clinic, regarding use of parking spaces, front lawns or other allowances that permit businesses to implement their mitigation strategies.

5. Signage and Wayfinding: Deploy wayfinding aids at key places such as crosswalks, temporary pathways, transit stops, and nearby businesses, to communicate contingent business operations and clearly explain alternative routes and directions, parking availability, or modified hours.

6. Launch and Monitor Activations: Execute events, monitor attendance and business impact, and adjust based on feedback from stakeholders, ensuring continuous improvement and community engagement.

Local Business Support Strategy

As a complement to the Key Experience Moments and World-building components of the Experience Strategy, the business support element turns the disruptions of the Link BRT construction into an opportunity for growth and innovation along the Second Street corridor. Taking the place of conventional direct aid, this strategy builds an interconnected ecosystem where local businesses can succeed together. It combines three core components: a local story-based marketing campaign, a mentorship program and service design and operational upgrades. Each part tackles immediate challenges while laying the groundwork for lasting strength and community energy.

• Local Story-based Marketing: A marketing and communications campaign that showcases personal stories from real people to promote emotional connections with the real reason businesses thrive: hard work and vision.

• Mentorship program: a B2B partnership approach that links seasoned entrepreneurs with those needing guidance, encouraging collaboration and shared expertise.

• Service design and operational upgrades: Tailored Storefront Accelerator sessions to help businesses improve their visibility, processes and services, keeping them adaptable and competitive during change.

• Alternative Sales Channels: Digital platforming alternatives to provide additional sources of revenue, where businesses disrupted by construction access a local digital marketplace to place their goods and services for sale.

• Success Workshops: One-on-one assistance for businesses to upgrade their online presence, update their messaging in online channels and create a voice that is heard during the construction phases.

These elements work together to create a robust support system for the corridor. The ecosystem-building approach chooses a path for this strategy to offer businesses capacityand contextual support to survive the construction period and play a key role in shaping Rochester as a connected, thriving community moving forward.

Story-based Marketing

To keep the Second Street corridor thriving during the Link BRT construction, we’re launching a storytelling campaign inspired by Humans of New York. Titled "Stories of Second Street", this initiative puts local business owners front and center, sharing their personal stories in their own words. Through these narratives, we’ll frame the construction as a temporary challenge on the road to a stronger Rochester, highlight the businesses as vital city partners, and build a deep, emotional connection with the community—drawing people in with tales that are both uniquely personal and universally relatable.

Imagine a bakery owner recounting why she opened her shop on Second Street, or a bookstore owner describing how his family’s legacy fuels his resilience. These first-person stories will reveal the heart behind each business: why they chose Rochester, what their work means to them, and how they’re navigating the construction. We’ll share them across multiple channels:

• Social Media: Bite-sized videos or written posts on city and business pages, tied together with a hashtag like #StoriesOfSecondStreet

• On-Site Signage: QR codes or small story plaques outside businesses, on billboards at transit stops, or on posters along construction barriers, inviting passersby to learn more and interact with the businesses.

• Local Media Partnerships: Collaborations with Rochester’s newspapers, radio stations, and influencers to spread these voices further.

Each story will subtly weave in the idea that these businesses aren’t just surviving construction but actively helping build the city’s future. The campaign blends vulnerability and strength in an innovative package, with otherwise unseen narratives that will inspire empathy and encourage the community to support them through this phase.

Campaign Objectives

• Reveal the Human Side: Share authentic stories that highlight the personal impact of construction and the resilience of business owners.

• Elevate Business Roles: Position businesses as active contributors to Rochester’s growth, reinforcing their importance to the city’s future.

• Strengthen Community Ties: Foster empathy and loyalty by connecting residents emotionally to the corridor’s businesses, encouraging ongoing patronage.

Implementation Details

• Story Collection: Conduct short, informal interviews with business owners to capture their authentic voices and experiences.

• Content Production: Transform these interviews into engaging formats—videos (1-2 minutes), written posts (200-300 words), or audio clips—optimized for each channel.

Distribution Strategy:

• Social Media: Post weekly stories on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, encouraging shares and comments to boost visibility.

• On-Site Signage: Install weather-resistant QR codes or plaques with brief story teasers (e.g., “Scan to hear why Maria chose Second Street”), linking to full narratives online.

• Local Media: Pitch select stories to media outlets for feature articles or radio segments, targeting audiences beyond digital channels.

• Engagement Tracking: Monitor metrics like social media interactions (likes, shares, comments) and QR code scans to assess reach and refine the campaign as needed.

Mentorship Program

The Corridor Catalyst Mentorship Program is a cornerstone of the Rochester Experience Strategy, aimed at enhancing the economic vitality and customer experience of businesses along the Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. A qualified program operator pairs struggling

businesses (mentees) with thriving ones (mentors), to promote innovation and operational excellence through hands-on learning, in a rotating mentorship approach, where instead of sticking with one mentor, mentees cycle through different mentors over time. This exposes them to a variety of perspectives, skills, and networks, enriching their experience.

The Corridor Catalyst initiative supports the BRT’s goals of boosting accessibility, ridership, and corridor vibrancy, positioning Rochester as a dynamic urban center.

Program Overview

The Corridor Catalyst Mentorship Program is built around immersive mentorship, a learning method where mentees are embedded in their mentors’ businesses to experience firsthand how services are delivered, customers are engaged, and operations are managed. This experiential approach equips mentees with the skills and insights needed to innovate within their own businesses, and builds the capacity needed to form future partnerships that contribute to the improvement of the quality of public spaces, and to the overall Second Street Corridor experience.

Key components include:

• Mentor-Mentee Pairing: Matches based on business type and specific needs (e.g., a mentee with operational challenges paired with a mentor excelling in efficiency), in a rotating basis, to expose mentees to diverse skills and networks.

• Immersive Learning: Mentees participate directly in mentors’ daily operations, absorbing best practices through real-world exposure.

• Collaborative Workshops and Interventions: Structured sessions led by mentors to reinforce immersive experiences, collaborate in public space enhancement projects, and share broader insights.

This model leverages local expertise to meet modern demands, prioritizing unique experiences over price competition.

Program Design: Step-by-Step Guide

This section outlines a clear, actionable plan for city officials to implement the program efficiently. Each step includes responsibilities, processes, and timelines.

Step 0: Designate the program coordinator

Process: Business Forward will designate a Business Forward official, or an external consultant with relevant experience to implement the Corridor Catalyst, working with businesses to identify mentors and mentees, pair them, organize and conduct the sessions and workshops, oversee the capacity building and implementation process, and recording findings, lessons, and feedback to inform further iterations of the program.

Timeline: 1 year.

Step 1: Identify Mentors and Mentees

Responsibility: City economic development staff and program coordinator.

Process: Survey the businesses in the Storefront Accelerator cohorts and analyze data (e.g., sales trends, customer reviews) to identify "Mentors" (successful) and "Mentees" (needing support). Focus on product-market fit, efficiency, and customer experience.

Timeline: 1 month.

Step

2: Matching Process

Responsibility: Business Forward and program coordinator.

Process: Pair mentees with mentors based on complementary strengths and weaknesses (e.g., a retail mentee with weak foot traffic paired with a mentor skilled in customer draw) Depending on the focus, mentors and mentees can be from the same industry or a complementary one.

Timeline: 2 weeks.

Step

3: Program Launch

Responsibility: Program coordinator.

Process: The Corridor Catalyst Mentorship Program Kickoff Event is the exciting start to a new mentorship initiative in Rochester. It will:

• Introduce the program to everyone involved.

• Pair mentors with mentees.

• Explain what participants need to know to get started.

The event will take place along the BRT corridor, be fun yet organized, with a low budget. It will feature a short program overview, introductions, and time to network, so everyone leaves ready to begin. Additional launch event details like the budget breakdown and event script can be found in Appendix 4.

Timeline: 1 week.

Step

4: Immersive Mentorship Sessions

Responsibility: Mentors and mentees, supervised by the program coordinator.

Process: Mentees are immersed in their mentors’ businesses once a week, as patrons in restaurants, cafes, or bakeries; or customers in retail stores, experiencing their service firsthand, while observing how mentors deliver value and understanding the process to then adapt those strategies to improve their own operation.

The focus is on absorbing the entire experience: how mentors interact with customers, streamline processes, and innovate in real time.

Mentors guide mentees, offering insights and feedback to help them translate these observations into actionable innovations for their own businesses.

Timeline: 3-6 months.

Step 5: Collaborative Workshops

Responsibility: Mentors and program coordinator.

Process: Monthly workshops, led by mentors with oversight from the program coordinator, with the first one building on the immersive mentorship experience. Subsequent ones will focus on education and networking. These sessions provide a structured environment for mentees to reflect on what they’ve learned, discuss challenges, refine customer interactions based on their mentor’s techniques, and develop plans to implement innovations.

Topics include customer engagement, operational efficiency, and service design, directly tied to lessons from immersion. Additionally, a Peer-Led Innovation Lab can have Mentors and mentees team up to tackle real challenges in the corridor, like brainstorming new business ideas or community projects. This turns mentorship into a hands-on, collaborative effort rather than just advice-giving.

Held at BRT-accessible venues, workshops encourage peer collaboration and reinforce the hands-on learning mentees gain from mentors’ services.

Timeline: Monthly within a 6 month period.

Service Design, Storefront, and Operational Upgrade

In phase 3 of the project, the Storefront Accelerators, operated by Storefront Mastery, will engage two cohorts of up to 15 businesses each, delivering a hands-on, collaborative program to enhance their storefronts, refine their operations, and elevate the customer experience. This initiative is designed to strengthen individual businesses while fostering a cohesive corridor ecosystem, aligning with the project's vision of creating a vibrant, experience-driven destination. Drawing from a tailored and immersive approach, the Storefront Accelerators will provide each business with a tailored combination of the following:

• Comprehensive Assessment: A detailed evaluation of each business’s current storefront, value proposition, product-market fit, and customer journey, identifying opportunities for improvement and alignment with market needs.

• Customized Design Recommendations: Practical and creative suggestions to enhance storefront appeal, such as improved signage, lighting, and façade treatments, tailored to each business’s identity and the corridor’s strategic goals.

• Brand Narrative Development: Expert guidance on sending a message that resonates with customers, connecting the business owner’s unique vision and story to the Second Street Experience Strategy, making it memorable and engaging.

• Operational Enhancements: Actionable insights to streamline processes, optimize service delivery, and improve customer interactions, to create an experience that increases foot traffic and sales during the disruption and beyond.

• Contingency Campaign: A deep dive into the specific needs that businesses have to navigate the construction-related disruption of their activities, logistics, and operation.

Digital Marketplace

As part of our comprehensive strategy to support local businesses during the Link BRT construction, we are proposing a cutting-edge digital marketplace as an alternative sales channel that will transform the Second Street corridor into a thriving hub—both physically and digitally. This initiative builds upon the success of the Storefront Accelerator, leveraging insights from comprehensive business assessments, customized design recommendations, and brand narrative development to create a user-friendly online directory and sales platform that aggregates the district’s unique offerings.

The tangible improvements of the Storefront Accelerator interact with the digital presence to add value to the offer of local businesses, and provides district managers with content to craft a cohesive and accessible destination marketing strategy.

This component is delivered by an external vendor. There are several that offer digital platforms that can offer every business in the district a powerful tool to showcase their products and services. This type of toolkit can drive increased visibility and sales and ensures businesses remain accessible and vibrant, which is especially useful during construction disruptions.

Key Features and Support

The digital marketplace offers a suite of features that enhance visibility, drive sales, and foster community connection. Below are the core requirements to make a digital sales channel solution a vital part of our strategy to support businesses during and beyond the Link BRT construction.

Branding and Marketing platform that acts as an extension of the real-life commercial district, transmitting the values and the core message to keep those interactions that are disrupted by the construction and maintain the community building efforts of local businesses intact.

Unified Community Marketplace with tools to manage insights into engagement, customer traffic, and economic activity. Includes the ability to implement community digital gift cards, supporting online sellers, and provides an extra layer for communication.

Comprehensive Business Profiles and Shops for participating businesses optimized for search engines, featuring customization options like pictures, videos, events, testimonials, and more, which is a marketing tool one step beyond just the sales channel.

Connecting to the Bigger Picture

This Digital Marketplace directly supports our short-term objective of maintaining business visibility and revenue during construction by providing an alternative channel that keeps Second Street’s offerings front and center for customers. It mitigates the impact of reduced foot traffic by extending each business’s reach beyond physical barriers, aligning with the Experience Strategy’s emphasis on innovation and operational excellence. Looking ahead, it positions the corridor as a must-visit destination post-construction, enhancing economic vitality and reinforcing Rochester’s reputation as a forward-thinking community.

This platform will integrate with the Storefront Accelerator’s hands-on improvements to equip businesses with a dual IRL+digital approach to thrive while change is underway. This initiative softens the disruption of construction and ensures the corridor emerges stronger, united, and ready to shape Rochester’s future as a vibrant, experience-driven hub.

Digital Detour

As part of the business support component of the Experience Strategy for Rochester’s Second Street BRT construction period, we’re introducing a focused program called “Digital Detour”, designed to help downtown businesses stay visible, connected, and competitive—despite the disruption. This program is implemented by an external consultant with Google Business Partner expertise.

The program consists on a series of hands-on Workshops that cut through the construction noise. These sessions will equip business owners and staff with practical skills in digital marketing and social media strategy, so they can reach customers even when foot traffic drops. The workshops should be administered by an external consultant and should cover how to keep a consistent online presence, how to target the right audiences, and how to craft a message without adding more overwhelm to the business owners’ plate.

Second, Digital Detour will provide Tools and templates for posts, emails, signage, and other setups to connect to their e-commerce platforms and other sales channels. These are quickstart resources that help business owners act fast and keep communication about promotions, route changes, or updated hours clear.

Third, the construction website can include a centralized business communication Hub: a single online location next to the official website where every participating business can share updates, offers, and events in real-time. Customers will have one place to check what’s happening downtown, who’s open, and what deals are running. It keeps the public looped in and encourages continued visits—even in the middle of construction.

Why it works: This approach ensures businesses don’t have to figure it out alone, and they don’t have to start from scratch. Expert guidance will meet them where they are, providing skills, materials, and infrastructure that are immediately usable. It creates a shared front, a consistent presence, and an easier way for the public to stay engaged with their favorite places.

St. Mary’s Area Pilot Intervention

St. Mary’s Area is defined by the blocks surrounding St. Mary’s Hospital and the transit hub that serves it, with thousands of daily commuters. A sizable portion of Mayo staff, patients and local residents, as well as suburban commuters, are served by several amenities such as restaurants, commercial spaces, convenient transit and well-connected roads.

The section of Second Street. In front of the hospital will be closed for a period of sixteen weeks from 12th Avenue to 14th Avenue. This closure, on a street segment that exhibits large numbers of users who cross the street to patronize local businesses, mainly food & beverage, offers an opportunity to create a pilot intervention where the Key Experience Moments can be implemented and tested, and iterated for further construction phases where sections of Second St. will be closed.

The aim of the intervention in the area is to study and understand the nature and characteristics of Link BRT construction-related street closures, assess the logistical challenges for businesses along the corridor, and develop a first intervention plan, based on the high-level Key Experience Moments conceptual proposal and followed by a high-level guide to replicate them in future phases of construction, in other portions of Second St. as construction advances.

Testing the "Key Experience Moments" (i.e., "Step and Pause," "Wayfinding Stations”, “Community Canvas”, and “Progress Bar”) in a real-world setting, can mitigate constructionrelated disruptions, and enhance user experience. Additionally, collecting data to refine future interventions is a bonus. These objectives tie to the strategy’s short-term goals of maintaining business visibility during construction, and long-term aspirations like creating a vibrant corridor post-construction.

Proposed Intervention

Selected interventions from the "Key Experience Moments" section, namely the four physical Placemaking solutions, will be installed along alternate pathways on 12th and 14th Aves., the two main pedestrian thoroughfares linking alternate transit routes with destinations on the closed section of Second Street.

The pilot intervention serves as a testing lab for placing "Wayfinding Stations" at transit stops and intersections as active wayfinding markers, installing a “Progress Bar” and a “Community Canvas” at convenient points close to Second St., and the “Step and Pause” installation along protective barriers on the sidewalk on Second Street. The purpose is to expose users to the Key Experience Moments and evaluate the quality of the “moments” they spend interacting with them, to find out if and how they counteract challenges like reduced foot traffic or noise. These data will be especially useful when each individual affected business implements their own tailored solution to cope with loss of access and foot traffic during construction.

For the initial deployment of Key Experience Moments, we have identified key locations near transit stops or available crossings to ensure that the moments get enough exposure. There is an opportunity to explore potential partnerships with local artists for "Community Canvas" or tech providers for "Wayfinding Stations” and involve local makers or the tech community in developing the finalized designs and implementation.

As the pilot develops, its lessons will inform further iterations in subsequent section closures. One important lesson is the modular and adaptable nature of the interventions to suit shifting construction phases. While detailed design and logistics are beyond the conceptual scope, this section builds the blueprint for implementation.

Users’ interaction with the Key Experience Moments should evoke the transformative potential of the interventions, aligning with the strategy’s focus on immersive storytelling and emotional resonance. Their feedback will inform a framework for evaluating the moments and their relevance - or need for amendment- before the next iteration.

The pilot’s role is a learning tool to refine the Experience Strategy for broader implementation. This section underscores adaptability and the iterative nature of the pilot.

Evaluation

To find the most appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the success of the pilot intervention at St. Mary’s, between 12th and 14th Aves., we need metrics that reflect both user interaction and business health. The final KPI design should follow the below guidelines, which align well with the core principles and main goals of the project:

For User Interaction and Emotional Engagement:

• Dwell Time at Intervention Points: Average time users spend at each Key Experience Moment (e.g., Progress Bar, Step and Pause, Community Canvas). Captured via motion sensors or observational studies.

• Interaction Rate: Number of direct interactions per station per day (e.g., button presses at kiosks, contributions to the Community Canvas, QR code scans).

• Repeat Engagement: % of users who return and re-engage with the installations (using WiFi pings or anonymized camera counts if privacy-compliant).

• Emotional Response Sampling: Short intercept surveys or digital polls asking users to rate their experience in terms of “joy,” “wonder,” “hope,” and “belonging.”

• Social Media Engagement: Posts or stories tagged with a campaign hashtag, check-ins, or shares of installations, to measure organic buzz.

For Business Health During Intervention:

• Foot Traffic Changes: Daily foot traffic counts near participating businesses before, during, and after the pilot. You can use counters or leverage mobile phone data if accessible.

• Sales Variance: Self-reported sales data from a sample of corridor businesses, anonymized and aggregated, compared to previous similar periods (ideally YoY).

• Customer Retention Indicators: Businesses can report the percentage of repeat customers during the pilot, especially if they use loyalty tracking or point-of-sale systems that flag this.

• Business Sentiment Survey: Quick pulse surveys asking business owners about perceived customer traffic, satisfaction with the intervention, and qualitative impact.

For System Performance & Implementation Quality:

• Installation Uptime: Percentage of time each installation remained operational and effective (no lighting/audio/display failures).

• Maintenance Logs: Number and type of maintenance or repairs needed, to help evaluate feasibility of future scaling.

• Community Participation Count: Number of contributors to the Community Canvas or events held at the Progress Bar, tracked daily.

All of these can feed into a Pilot Dashboard, which communicates impact with both qualitative and quantitative clarity.

Next Steps

The St. Mary's Pilot Intervention marks the initial implementation of the Second Street Experience Strategy, applying high-level strategic recommendations to test the Key Experience Moments in real-world conditions. This pilot aims to evaluate the effectiveness, durability, and user reception of these placemaking interventions, providing critical data to refine future iterations.

The pilot’s success will be measured by the performance and resilience of the installed solutions, user engagement, and direct feedback, particularly from the Community Canvas. These insights will inform a replicable framework for deploying Key Experience Moments in subsequent construction phases and street closures, establishing a protocol for future implementations.

Immediate next steps post-installation include:

• Data Collection: Gather quantitative and qualitative data to assess performance against predefined KPIs, such as user interaction rates, emotional resonance, and business visibility impacts.

• Evaluation: Analyze data to determine the effectiveness of each intervention and identify areas for improvement.

• Documentation: Produce a comprehensive guide documenting the pilot’s outcomes, serving as a manual for scaling and adapting interventions in future phases.

Beyond installation guidelines, the guide will address scalability, potential expansion beyond the corridor and alternate routes, and mechanisms for ongoing feedback integration. This pilot serves as a testbed, reinforcing the broader vision of integrating placemaking and business support to transform Second Street into a vibrant, experience-driven destination.

Implementation Guide

Roadmap

Translate the designed experience into a phased plan that outlines how and when each initiative will be implemented, who is responsible for each task, and how activities are coordinated. This includes delineating phases of implementation: some may involve quick, “pop-up” improvements to sustain visitor interest during heavy construction, while others might be more permanent, rolled out only when the new BRT infrastructure is nearly complete. Roles and responsibilities are defined to avoid confusion about who handles design updates, event planning, merchant coordination, or the evaluation of ongoing initiatives.

Project Profile Recommendations

Below are each of the recommendations included in the Experience Strategy, plus the handbook with guidelines for future iterations of the Key Experience Moments, as standalone projects of various sizes and scopes, with an allocation of responsibility for strategy, design, implementation, funding, and recommended provider. Timeline and cost will depend on the final design and specifications from the selected providers.

Key Experience Moments

1. Step and Pause

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept and location on St. Mary’s pilot area)

Production: Local graphics company (final design, production and installation)

Implementation: City of Rochester

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

2. Wayfinding Stations

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept and location on St. Mary’s pilot area)

Production: Local technology company (final design, production and installation)

Implementation: City of Rochester

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

3. Community Canvas

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept and location on St. Mary’s pilot area)

Production: Local graphics company (final design, production and installation)

Implementation: City of Rochester

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

4. Progress Bar

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept and location on St. Mary’s pilot area)

Production: Local makers collective (final design, production and installation)

Implementation: Local Makers collective

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

5. Rochester Through Time

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept and location on St. Mary’s pilot area)

Production - Recommended Vendor: Urality (final design, production and deployment)

Deployment: Vendor + City of Rochester

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

Public Space Activation

1. Decentralized activations

Strategy: Storefront Mastery (concept and location on St. Mary’s pilot area)

Production: Local collective (design, production and coordination)

Implementation: City of Rochester

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

Key Experience Moments Implementation Guide

This is a recommended ancillary project to document the lessons from the pilot implementation in St. Mary’s and incorporate them in a guide that can inform further implementations in future construction sections

1. Implementation Guide

Strategy: City of Rochester

Production: External Consultant

Implementation: City of Rochester/Kimley-Horn

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

Business

Support Programs

1. Story-based Marketing

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept)

Production - Recommended vendor: Storyville, Bay City MI (research, production and deployment)

Implementation: City of Rochester (?)

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

2. Corridor Catalyst

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept)

Production: External consultant (research and implementation)

Implementation: Consultant

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

3. Direct Business Assistance

Design: Storefront Mastery

Production: Storefront Mastery (Phase 3 of the Experience Strategy)

Implementation: Storefront Mastery (Technical assistance for Accelerators)

Funding: DMC Business Grants (for implementation of recommendations)

4. Digital Marketplace

Design: Storefront Mastery/Beyond Main (concept)

Production - Recommended Vendor: Beyond Main, Summit NJ (research, production and deployment)

Implementation: City of Rochester + Vendor

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

5. Digital Detour

Design: Storefront Mastery (concept)

Production: Local Google Partner consultant (research, production and deployment)

Implementation: Consultant

Funding: City of Rochester/DMC

Conclusion

The Second Street Corridor Experience Strategy is a transformative approach that offers a blueprint for cities worldwide to turn disruption into opportunity. It serves as a model for developing human-centered solutions, tailored to diverse user groups, prioritizing the visibility and continued operation of impacted businesses to navigate critical times.

The proposal harnesses businesses’ contributions to the local experience and sees them as partners in building Rochester's future. The purpose is to cultivate lasting ownership that extends beyond the BRT construction. Its alignment with Rochester's objectives elevates the corridor as a global example of experience-driven urban revitalization, reinforcing the city's status as a healthcare and cultural hub.

Challenges and Considerations

The strategy's comprehensive scope demands meticulous coordination to address challenges such as securing steady funding, aligning stakeholders, ensuring accessibility for all user groups, and addressing the contingency of decreased foot traffic and sales for local businesses. The pilot phase will play a central role in uncovering logistical obstacles, particularly related to maintaining placemaking elements and ensuring installation reliability in active construction zones.

The Experience Strategy manifests on public space and interacts with users to educate, guide, and build community and civic values. The users are who keep Rochester alive. It is the businesses, however, who represent the lasting legacy of the city, that transcends disruptive times, as the construction of the Link BRT corridor will be. They are the protagonists of the Experience Strategy, and thus a big component of the proposal is the Business Support Strategy.

Immediate-Term Recommendations

To bring this vision to life, the City should take immediate action with these steps:

• Form a Coordinating Task Force: Create a team of representatives from the existing Business Forward task force, along local business owners, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to guide strategy execution, aligning with the phased roadmap.

• Launch the St. Mary's Pilot: Install Key Experience Moments in the St. Mary’s area according to the recommendations, to test placemaking solutions and collect data for future refinements.

• Secure Funding and Partnerships: Allocate initial budgets while collaborating with local makers, tech providers, and consultants to develop and deploy interventions.

• Roll Out Business Support Programs: Launch the Stories of Second Street campaign and Corridor Catalyst Mentorship Program to bolster business resilience.

• Implement Evaluation Metrics: Develop and apply KPIs, including dwell time, foot traffic, and social media engagement, to assess the pilot's impact and inform data-driven adjustments for subsequent phases.

The Second Street Corridor Experience Strategy presents Rochester with a rare opportunity to convert construction challenges into a legacy of innovation and community vitality. Immediate action will yield a corridor that thrives during hardship, and becomes a global standard for urban revitalization under contingency.

In the spirit of this moment, it’s imperative we forge a vibrant corridor that provokes joy, wonder, hope, and belonging in order to engage users during construction. The Experience Strategy will transform an otherwise painful process into a global beacon of urban vitality that echoes Rochester’s enduring spirit for generations to come. Storefront Mastery extends heartfelt gratitude to the City of Rochester, Destination Medical Center, the Downtown Partnership, and Business Forward for their collaboration.

United businesses, a collaborative ecosystem, and a clear partnership between them and the City will allow them to be the referent that remains after construction, that grounds the new project to the cherished values and memories that people have of Rochester, and will help usher the future. This strategy sees them, values them, and aims to create a strong partnership with them.